Baccarat Summary of Baccarat advantage play methods

S Learn why the slug scam is so dangerous in baccarat. Recognize the possibility ofbuilding a slug, and then consider how technology can play a major role and take this scam to another level of sophistication.

S When the shoe is passed from player to player there is always the possibility of peeking the top card/ Every dealing shoe is a little different, each with its own design nuances, and each may be vulnerable to different shoe peeks.

Strong arm cheating is very rare in baccarat, but you should still take the time nx familiarize yourself with some of the basic methods and possibilities. Everything can and does happen,

•• sooner or liter.

S ' Card counting is not a viable approach [for. beating baccarat, and the research and evidence is ^’conclusive. Do you know why?

S Sequence tracking may be .possible, but only against the most inadequate shuffles. In this regard, no approach is stronger than locking into two sequences with apequential tracking computer.

^ Occasionally advantage techniques surface with good results, but they are few and far

between. They usually target some/quirk in'procedure and rarely give the player 'nioretthan one favorable Bet per shoe.

inventory for a big table baccarat scam would take some work, as numerous decks would have to be marked and be ready to go given the change of cards after each shoe. The advantages derived from playing paper in baccarat are the same advantages derived from peek scams and other scams. For all the details on marked cards, refer to chapter 10, “Universal Scams”.

S In regard to procedures, one comes to mind thats worth 'mentioning, the ritual of introducing new decks to the big table game. This is easily the most time-consuming procedure in the industry. A wonderful solution to this problem started overseas. Its a preshuffle procedure off the game. I first saw the procedure in Perth, Australia, where the Director of Games brought it over from Macau with slight modifications. The casinos of Australia have adopted the procedure with good success. Only a few of our casinos here in the States have adopted the procedure, but all have recognized the benefits.

This baccarat pretable shuffle (PTS) can be summarized as follows:

1. An area of the room is designated the shuffling area, under the watchful eye of surveillance. Players are free to observe the procedure at any time.

2. Eight new decks are opened, verified, and the boxes destroyed. The cards are thoroughly washed and house shuffled. Shuffling machines are commonly used, sometimes in combination with hand shuffles.

3. The shuffled decks are then locked into a transparent security box and placed openly in locked, transparent shelving. Only upper managment has access to all keys. This continues with many shoes shuffled, secured, and ready to go.

4. The decks are changed every shoe. When needed, a security box with the preshuffled decks is brought to the game, like bringing a fill to the game. A very fast, direct shuffling procedure now takes place as a courtesy to the players’(no wash and generally one riffle per packet). Play continues as normal.

5. The entire preshuffle action is'videotaped from beginning to end. When there is no action in the room, all preshuffled decks are destroyed. * ;

In a confidential report in which I conducted an evaluation of the procedure,

I concluded with the following:

... I believe the pretable baccarat shuffle fcaH<&ccellent procedure, '■ The efficiency and productivity of 1 the procedure is to be commended. With complete camera coverage of dll preshuffles, storage, and transfers to the live game, it does appear that every measure has been taken to provide complete accountability. If the card control and key controls are adequate, the PTS is as good a solution for protecting the games and keeping the game moving at a reasonable pace as any I have ever seen.; %